W.B. Yeats Poetry

1. Compare the treatment of war in On Being Asked for a War Poem with other war poems by Wilfred Owen or Siegfried Sassoon.

Ans.

In Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen and The Hero by Siegfried Sassoon, both poets vividly contrast the romanticized view of war with its brutal reality. Their treatment of war sharply opposes the glorified image of heroism, challenging traditional ideas like those in Yeats’s On Being Asked for a War Poem.

Treatment of War in Dulce et Decorum Est:

In Owen’s poem, war is portrayed as a horrific, dehumanizing experience. He describes soldiers as "bent double, like old beggars under sacks" and "coughing like hags," emphasizing the physical and mental exhaustion. The soldiers are shown as broken and exhausted, their bodies battered by war’s demands. Owen’s description of the gas attack, with the image of a soldier "guttering, choking, drowning," is graphic and horrific. He condemns the idea that it is sweet and proper to die for one’s country, famously ending the poem with the line "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori," calling it "the old lie." Owen’s poem exposes the gruesome, tragic reality of war, criticizing those who romanticize it.

Treatment of War in The Hero by Siegfried Sassoon:

Sassoon’s The Hero critiques the notion of heroic sacrifice for the mother of a fallen soldier. The mother believes her son, Jack, died honorably, and the officer telling her the story plays along with her delusion. However, the officer internally knows the truth—Jack was a coward who panicked during an attack and died in a shameful way. Sassoon highlights the disconnection between the false narrative of heroism fed to the mother and the actual, messy reality of war, showing how society feeds comforting lies to those who mourn.

Comparison with Yeats's On Being Asked for a War Poem:

Yeats, in On Being Asked for a War Poem, refuses to write about war, feeling that poets have misunderstood its meaning and power. He believes poetry should not indulge in the glorification of war and its causes. While Yeats’s stance is more critical and withdrawn, Owen and Sassoon go a step further by directly confronting the brutality and hypocrisy surrounding war. Owen's depiction is more visceral and direct, showing the human cost of war in its rawest form, while Sassoon critiques the emotional manipulation of those left behind.

In contrast to Yeats's refusal, Owen and Sassoon actively engage with the war experience, exposing its horrors and breaking down the myth of the noble sacrifice. They offer a deeper, more tragic view of war’s impact on individuals, making their war poems powerful condemnations of its idealization.

In summary, Owen and Sassoon's poems challenge romanticized notions of war through graphic imagery and personal accounts, directly confronting the reality of war’s cruelty, whereas Yeats takes a more reserved and philosophical stance, rejecting the idea of war poetry altogether.

2. Write a modernist-inspired poem reflecting on a contemporary global crisis, drawing on Yeats’s themes and techniques. [Generate with the help of Gen AIlike ChatGPT or Google Gemini or Meta WhatsApp or Microsoft Co-pilot]

Ans.

The Crumbling World

The streets hum with silent fear,

Glass towers crack, shadows leer.

Whispers rise, yet no one hears,

The centre breaks, the old world veers.

Smoke coils in the choking air,

Floods drown the farmer’s prayer.

Machines whisper in lifeless hands,

Steel replaces shifting sands.

The falcon soars, but finds no sky,

Truth is drowned in shattered lies.

A new beast crawls with soulless might,

Born from greed, bathed in night.

Explanation (Inspired by Yeats’s Techniques):

Theme of Disintegration: Like The Second Coming, the poem shows a world falling apart.

Symbolism: The “beast” at the end represents destruction (like Yeats’s rough beast in The Second Coming).

Ambiguity: The crisis could be climate change, war, or AI takeover—just like Yeats’s poems allow multiple interpretations.

Repetition & Contrast: “The centre breaks” echoes Yeats’s “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.”

3. Do you agree with Yeats’s assertion in 'On Being Asked for a War Poem' that poetry should remain apolitical? Why or why not?

Ans.

I don’t fully agree with Yeats’s idea that poetry should stay away from politics. While Yeats believed that poetry should focus on beauty and emotions rather than war or politics, many poets have used their work to talk about real-world problems.
Poetry has the power to make people think, feel, and even take action. Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, for example, wrote about the horrors of war to show the truth behind patriotic lies. Even Yeats himself later wrote poems like The Second Coming, which reflect on chaos and destruction in society.
In today’s world, poetry can raise awareness about issues like war, climate change, and human rights. It can give a voice to people who are suffering. So, while poetry doesn’t always have to be political, it can be a strong way to express important truths about the world.

4.  How does Yeats use imagery to convey a sense of disintegration in 'The Second Coming'?

Ans.

Yeats uses strong and disturbing imagery in The Second Coming to show a world falling apart. He describes chaos, violence, and loss of control to create a sense of disintegration.

"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold" – This famous line shows that society is breaking down, and there is no stability or order.

"Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world" – The word anarchy suggests complete disorder, as if everything is spinning out of control.

"The blood-dimmed tide is loosed" – This image suggests violence and destruction, as if war or disaster is covering everything like a flood.

"A shape with lion body and the head of a man" – This mysterious and frightening creature represents something unnatural and dangerous, symbolizing a new and terrifying era.

"Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born" – Instead of hope, the image of the beast moving toward Bethlehem suggests the arrival of something dark and destructive.